


cacti, not mushrooms

by sinspiration



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Witch Shiro (Voltron), some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:14:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22723009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinspiration/pseuds/sinspiration
Summary: “My name is Shiro. I’m a witch who lives in town. I wanted to apologize for the three kids who disturbed you today. They promised they’d leave you and your house alone. So no one will bother you anymore.”All at once, there is a loud buzzing and the lights in the little room flicker on the off again. Shiro glances up. There aren’t any bulbs in the light fixture.Okay. The possibly-ghost is active and responsive. That is either a very good or very bad thing, depending on how mad it is.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 46
Kudos: 499





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sagely_sea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagely_sea/gifts).



> My sheithlentines gift to sagely_sea. The wishlist included "fantasy" so... yeah! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Haunted,” Shiro says to the three teens in his apothecary shop. “You think a shack you found in the desert is haunted?”

The lanky boy who introduced himself as Lance nods his head. “Stuff gets moved around, food disappeared, it makes weird sounds, and something  _ poked me in the head _ once but when I turned nothing was there! And Pidge says she definitely picked up magical activity. It’s got to be a ghost!”

Pidge is the only one of the three Shiro knows, because she’s his best friend’s little sister. She’s attuned to magical energy but can’t utilize it like her brother Matt can. Being able to sense different types and degrees of magic from a young age with no way to explain it has made her very into breaking down the scientific properties of magic. Probably she’s the reason the three of them are in Shiro’s magic shop asking him to perform an exorcism.

“Okay.” Shiro tilts his head.”And which one of you owns the place?”

There is silence. The boy who Pidge proclaimed was Hunk scuffs a foot on the floor.

“So let me get this straight,” Shiro says. “You found a house in the desert, decided to trespass, and now, if there really is a ghost, you want my help to get rid of it even though it’s none of your business.”

More silence. “We were just exploring,” Lance says ducking his head. The wind looks thoroughly taken out of his sails. “And it looked like maybe a cool place to hang out.”

“We weren’t going to mess it up,” Pidge says mulishly. “I just felt something and wanted to see what it was.”

“And you were clearly there long enough to notice things getting moved around, to leave food out, and to bother whatever it is that’s already there.”

Hunk groans. “I told you guys this was all a bad idea.”

Shiro sighs. The thing is, while it’s true that Pidge and her friends shouldn’t have trespassed, if they woke up a ghost and made it angry, Shiro does need to deal with it, if only to apologize. He doesn’t need the ghost turning into a will-o-wisp and starting to roam while it searches for those who wronged it.

“Pidge,” Shiro says. “Are you sure it’s a ghost?”

“ _ Lance  _ thinks it’s a ghost,” she says, shooting a look at Lance. “I never said it was a ghost.”

“Alright, what do you think it is, then?”

She shrugs and mumbles something.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know, okay?” She’s clearly upset at having to admit this. “I know it’s magic and I know we can’t see it, but I have no idea what it is. That’s why I wanted to stick around and figure it out!”

Okay, now Shiro really needs to see what’s going on. “I’ll take a look. But you three need to promise to stay away from the place, no matter what I find. It’s not yours to tramp all over. Got it?”

He gets three mumbled affirmations and apologies, and nods, satisfied. “I’ll even let you know what I find. If I find anything. Might not.”

The promise still has them leaving the shop chattering excitedly, which… well, Shiro isn’t going to  _ completely _ dissuade three kids from being curious and into the arcane.

***

With it being well into summer, it’s still light out when the little directional orb he’d conjured up stops him in front of a small, wooden house. It’s old, but looks fairly well-cared for, considering how weathered the wood is, and Shiro honestly can’t believe Pidge and her friends thought no one was already occupying the place. The windows that aren’t broken aren’t even coated in dust, and Shiro very much doubts it’s because Lance was up to house cleaning.

He parks his hoverbike a few yards away, just to keep it out of any potential lines of fire, and makes his way up to the little porch. He sets one foot carefully down, and it takes his weight easily, even though it creaks ominously.

It almost makes Shiro laugh. Nothing creaks like  _ that _ from natural causes.

He goes over to the door and tries the handle. It turns, which is kind of a surprise. He’d sort of expected to be locked out, especially after Pidge and her friends had traipsed all over the property.

Oh well.

Shiro goes in. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

The inside of the house goes suddenly silent. No more noise of the house settling, no creaks, no sound from outside. Silent and still, like the house is holding its breath.

It’s a pretty big tip-off that Pidge was right about something being here.

“My name is Shiro. I’m a witch who lives in town. I wanted to apologize for the three kids who disturbed you today. They promised they’d leave you and your house alone. So no one will bother you anymore.”

All at once, there is a loud buzzing and the lights in the little room flicker on the off again. Shiro glances up. There aren’t any bulbs in the light fixture.

Okay. The possibly-ghost is active and responsive. That is either a very good or very bad thing, depending on how mad it is.

“I’m going to ward your house,” Shiro continues. “I know a spell that will keep people from wanting to get close to your property. That way you’ll be left alone. Okay?” He doesn’t expect an answer, but he’s going to be as polite as he can. “I’ll get started now. It’ll only take me about an hour.”

He turns to go. Takes one step forward, and the floor, which had been solid and sturdy a minute ago, creaks angrily as something tugs on the back of his shirt. The buzzing sound also returns, though it’s much softer. It’s very much a  _ don’t do that. _

He doesn’t turn back around. “Hello? Is someone there? Do you want me to see you?”

There is a scoffing noise, and a muttered  _ “yeah, like you could.” _

“I mean, I might not be able to,” Shiro says, still not turning around. “But no harm in trying, right?”

A loud silence. Then,

“You can hear me?” a voice demands. It’s deep, a little raspy.

“Yes.”

“How?” It sounds suspicious. “You shouldn’t be able to.”

Shiro shrugs. Honesty is the best policy with magical beings, though he’ll be brief about it. “I was really sick and a witch promised she could cure me. She used me for experiments instead. I’ve got a lot of magical residue in me that doesn’t follow normal rules.”

“Are you still sick?” the voice asks after a moment, sounding hesitant.

“No. I don’t think she meant to cure me, but it was a side effect of something she did.”

“Oh.”

“Do you not want me to ward your house?” Shiro asks.

“No, I don’t! It’s my house. I don’t want you messing with it.”

“It would keep people from bothering you,” Shiro points out. “And would keep your house safe.”

Another scoffing sound. “Right, and I’m supposed to trust you to sprinkle magic everywhere?”

“I won’t if you don’t want me to,” Shiro says. “But I really would rather make sure you’re left alone.” At this point he doesn’t think he’s dealing with a ghost. They’re not usually this articulate. But  _ someone _ is living here. 

Silence.

“Do you want to be left alone?” Shiro asks carefully. If this person normally can’t be heard or seen by others, they might be lonely. 

“I just don’t want anyone messing with my house,” the voice mutters, not answering the question. “It’s mine.”

“This place is important to you, huh?”

“It’s  _ mine,” _ the voice says again. 

“Okay,” Shiro says. “I understand.” 

“Good.”

“Is it okay if I come back, if I promise not to mess anything up?”

“Why?” The voice is back to suspicious.

Shiro shrugs. He’s curious about this not-exactly-haunted house. And he knows what it’s like to be lonely. “I won’t, if you don’t want me to.”

“I guess you can,” the voice says after a long moment. “If you don’t mess with anything.”

Shiro allows himself a smile. “I promise.”

***

Shiro comes back the next evening, parking his hoverbike and heading over to the porch. It doesn’t creak as audibly as before. Huh.

“Hello?” he calls as he opens the door. “It’s Shiro. I came back for a visit.”

There is a beat, and then the soft buzzing sound returns, behind him. Looks like the person in residence still wants to stay out of sight. “You didn’t tell me your name was Shiro.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I was distracted before.” Shiro smiles, knowing it’ll be reflected in his voice, even if his face can’t be seen. “My name is Shiro. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Hm.”

“You don’t have to tell me your name if you don’t want to,” Shiro says easily. “I don’t mind.”

“Good.”

Shiro chuckles. “Okay. Well, I brought you something.”

“You… what?”

“I brought you a present.” Shiro shifts, trying to move so that the pot he’s holding can be seen from the side. “It’s a plant. It’s called argentine hedgehog, and it’s a good desert plant. It just needs some light and a little bit of water once in a while.”

“Why did you bring a plant?”

“I just thought it might be nice. Add some color, maybe? They bloom with really pretty flowers. But I can take it back with me, if you don’t want it.”

“I guess it can stay,” the voice says quickly.

Shiro grins. “Where do you want me to put it?”

The buzzing sound moves until it’s above his head. It’s another clue as to what he might be dealing with. A flier, most likely. So a pixie, maybe? Or a sprite? Pixies tended to be more mischievous though, and one would not have the patience to keep a house so clean. And sprites were non-verbal. It just added to the mystery.

“Put it on the table to your left,” the voice directed after a moment. “That window gets the best sun.”

Shiro does as he’s told.

“How much water does it need?”

“With a plant this size, you’re going to want to water about once a week. If you’re not sure, check to see if the first half inch of topsoil is dry. Just be careful of the spines, since they’re pretty sharp.”

“Do I need to know anything else?”

Shiro explains how to check for over or underwatering, and even explains watering from the bottom. “I can bring you a book on cacti if you want,” he offers.

“You’re going to come back again?” There is clear surprise there.

“If that’s okay.”

“I guess,” the voice mumbles.

Shiro will take it. “Great! I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Oh... you’re leaving already?”

“I don’t have to,” Shiro says. “If you want to talk a little more.”

“I’m not good at talking.”

“I don’t know, you seem to be doing an okay job with me.”

“Hm.”

Shiro goes to the couch at one end of the room and takes a seat. It isn’t dusty. “Wanna hear about some of my stranger customers?”

“Customers?”

“I own an apothecary shop.”

“Oh.” The buzzing settles behind Shiro’s head, then stops. “Okay.”

***

The next day, Shiro brings a book on cacti, as well as a container of homemade cookies. He’s not a bad hand in the kitchen, what with baking just being another type of science. Measuring and pouring? He can do it for potions, he can do it for baked goods.

These cookies are just a simple sugar cookie, since it’s hard to go wrong with those and they’re basic enough that most people like them. As before, he knocks on the door and calls out that it’s him before he goes inside.

“I brought you something,” he says as he takes a seat on the couch, setting the tupperware container on the little coffee table in front of him. 

“What is it?”

Shiro takes the top off the tupperware. “They’re sugar cookies. Do you eat?”

A snort. “Yes, I eat.”

Shiro shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re a ghost.”

“That’s stupid. Ghosts don’t talk.”

“True.” Shiro pauses. “The cookies are just flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. And vanilla. Are those all things you can eat?”

“Yes,” the voice says. It sounds exasperated.

“Hey.” Shiro holds up his hands. “Maybe you’re a vegan. I don’t know.”

“Why didn’t you make vegan cookies, then, just in case?”

“More for me, if you don’t want any.”

Another snort, though this time it sounds a little closer to a laugh. “Some present.”

“So? Do you want one? I can close my eyes if you still don’t want me to see you.”

“Break one in half,” the voice says, after a second. “They’re too big.”

Shiro adds  _ small _ to what he knows about the voice’s owner. Though it’s interesting, as small beings don’t usually have deeper voices, what with their vocal chords being smaller and thinner. “Sure.”

He sets the broken pieces down on the lid of the tupperware container, then squeezes his eyes shut. “Okay, go ahead.”

The gentle buzz starts up again, lands right in front of him, then proceeds to head back up to the left, where there is a bookshelf. It would be the perfect place for someone to curl up, if they fit. 

“Can I open my eyes?”

“Mm-hm.”

Shiro chuckles. “Do you like it?”

The, “it’s… yeah. It’s good.” is muffled, like the voice’s mouth is full. Presumably he swallows before, quietly, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Shiro smiles. “I also brought you that book.”

***

It goes on like that. Shiro keeps visiting the desert house, sometimes bringing things, sometimes not, and then staying and chatting with his out-of-sight host. He talks about himself a lot, and over time, he learns more and more about the mysterious owner of the house.

Shiro learns that he likes animals, dogs especially, and he used to see them a lot, though not anymore. From there, Shiro figures out that he hasn’t always been bound to the house. He lived somewhere else, once. A place where he could see dogs.

Shiro learns that he not only isn’t a vegan, but that he eats meat. He hunts a lot of his food, and is quite proud of this fact. He even promises to make Shiro rabbit, one day. 

Shiro learns that he loves to read and, more than that, he loves to learn. He devours any book Shiro brings, and the more they get to talking, the more interests Shiro discovers. He brings a lot of reading material on magic, exploration, space, and the sea.

Shiro learns that he’s young. Not a child, but not very far along into his adulthood. Maybe a few years younger than Shiro. And that he’s very alone. And has been very alone for a long time.

***

“It was my dad’s place,” Shiro’s friend tells him one evening. The sun has started to set earlier now. “It wasn’t where we lived all the time, but he’d take me out here a lot. It was just me and him.” A pause. “And then it was just me.”

“I’m sorry,” Shiro says.

“After he was gone, I got sent to other people. I didn’t like them. They didn’t like me. I never fit in right. I left when I was old enough to be able to. The house is mine. It told me how to find it.”

Shiro nods, unsure of what to say.

“My dad… he used to tell me about my mom.”

“Yeah?”

“My dad wasn’t going to have a kid. He wanted one, but it was just him. So my mom showed up and then they had me, which was breaking the rules.”

Shiro swallows. “Breaking what rules?”

It’s quiet for a long moment. “You’re supposed to trade,” the voice whispers eventually, in a way that makes Shiro ache. “You’re not supposed to get something for nothing.”

***

“Are you bound to this house?” Shiro asks one day. It’s been about three months since he started visiting the desert shack, and it feels like he might be allowed the question.

“Bound?”

“Can you leave?”

“I leave to go hunting.”

“Can you leave for longer? For good? If you wanted to?”

“I don’t want to.” It’s almost hissed.

“I didn’t say you did. I’m just wondering if you could.”

A long silence. “I don’t know,” the voice admits. “I don’t know, anymore.”

Shiro tips his head back, eyes closed behind his blindfold. He’s started bringing one, for when he visits. It’s just a cheap sleeping eye mask, but allows his friend to move about easier. Shiro just warns for when he’s going to take it off and open his eyes.

It’s nice, to be trusted like that, when he knows his friend doesn't trust easily.

There are a lot of things Shiro likes about his friend. What they have.

“Well, if you ever want to try, you can visit me. At my shop, or my house. If you wanted to.”

“How would I know where to find you?”

“Here.” Shiro shifts, reaching into his pocket to pull out a couple of crystals. He usually carries a handful around. He selects the one that pulses like jasper and holds it up. “You can use this. It’ll lead you in the right direction.”

“To what?”

“To me.”

The gentle buzzing Shiro has come to relish the sound of starts up, and then the crystal is plucked from his fingers. “Thank you.”

“Sure.” Shiro grins behind the eye mask. “Come and see me sometime.”

“Maybe I’ll try,” the voice says quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm who could this mysterious voice be?? A MYSTERY??


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro rubs his right shoulder. When his friend Allura helped make his prosthetic arm, a marvel of magic and electronics, they wound dozens of wards into the veins of it. Shiro is effectively untraceable, untrackable, by someone who wishes to do him harm.
> 
> And yet…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, do you think at some point shiro is going to learn keith's name

Shiro has spent years of work and therapy and effort to go about his life without constantly feeling like he needs to look over his shoulder. He only flinches sometimes, now, when a noise takes him by surprise, and he no longer goes over escape routes or locates potential weapons every single time he steps into a room.

He’s made a lot of progress and has been told to be proud of it. 

But when he gets to his shop one morning and can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong, he decides to trust his gut.

He knows to act as though nothing is wrong, so he goes about his day trying not to jump at shadows. He knows what it’s like to have eyes on him, both friendly and not.

This does not feel friendly.

He reminds himself that he’s in a public place. It’s broad daylight out. Customers are constantly milling around his shop. No one can touch him here.

Not that anyone should be able to touch him at all.

Shiro rubs his right shoulder. When his friend Allura helped make his prosthetic arm, a marvel of magic and electronics, they wound dozens of wards into the veins of it. Shiro is effectively untraceable, untrackable, by someone who wishes to do him harm.

And yet…

When he flips his sign to  _ closed, _ Shiro decides, for the first time in months, not to head out into the desert. He doesn’t know what’s after him, but he knows he isn’t going to lead it to his friend’s shack.

He makes his way home instead. His apartment is also warded thoroughly, and offers an added layer of protection of the dampening spells seeped into the walls. Only those given permission are allowed to enter his home, and said permission must be either given verbally, or through a token, like a crystal or a coin.

Shiro smiles a little, in memory of giving his friend the jasper. Shiro can sense all his tokens, and he’s noticed lately that the jasper is always present when he visits, and that it moves as the buzzing does. A little like it’s being worn or carried, and the thought makes him feel warm with pleasure.

The warmth douses when he gets inside and closes the door behind him. There, on the floor several feet away, is what appears to be a cloth-covered birdcage that was not there when he left.

As he takes a slow, careful step toward the cage, an angry buzzing starts up, along with a rattling sound. “I’ll kill you!” The voice sounds thick with tears. “I’ll skin you like a rabbit! Don’t you dare touch him!”

The voice also sounds very familiar. “It’s Shiro,” Shiro says, running forward. “Here, I’ll--” he reaches for the cloth. As he touches it, there is a sharp cry of pain.

Horrified, Shiro quickly lets the cloth drop from his fingers. “What happened? Who did this to you?”

The rattling gets louder. “Shiro! Shiro, no, no--you need to leave. He’ll get you!”

“Who’ll get me?” Shiro hovers his hands over the cage, trying to figure out how to disable the spell on it. It seems to be connected to the fabric covering it, so if he can find the opening to the cage, if he touches the fabric as little as possible...

“He burned my house, Shiro,” are the next words, sobbed. “He’s dangerous please--please leave, please--”

“I’m not leaving without you.” Shiro says firmly. “Let me just get you free--”

“Don’t worry about me! He just used me to get in--”

“And it worked very well indeed,” another voice says. Shiro freezes, cold dripping down his spine. It’s another voice he recognizes. And he can sense jasper.

Shiro breaks out into a cold sweat as Sendak steps into the light, but he doesn’t back up, doesn’t turn to run. He can’t. He can’t leave his friend in a cage at Sendak’s mercy.

“Stay away from him!” The cage is rattling so hard Shiro can see it move from underneath the cloth “I’ll cut you into pieces!”

“Hello, Champion.” Sendak smirks. “I’m so pleased to have finally found you.

“You’re dead,” Shiro whispers. “She’s gone!”

“Oh, she is,” Sendak says silkily. “But I am very much alive. And very ready to teach you several lessons.”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Quiet,” Sendak spits, and before Shiro can react, his foot kicks out at the cage. There is a sharp cry from inside as it bounces and jangles, and then it falls still and silent.

Shiro’s hands ball into fists, and it’s that anger that allows him to finally leap forward.

Sendak bares his teeth in a grin as Shiro attacks, meeting Shiro blow for blow, but while Sendak is playing, perhaps out for petty revenge, Shiro is fighting to protect. To protect his home and what he’s built, to protect the advances he’s made and how far he’s come, and to protect the being lying in a cage in his foyer because his friend trusted Shiro and Shiro is  _ not _ about to betray that trust.

He snarls and presses the advantage of his speed, his new strength and bulk, and Sendak’s self-satisfied smirk starts to slip as he realizes that Shiro is wearing him down.

Shiro pours heat and power into his right arm and takes first blood with it, the blow smarting but hurting Sendak more, and this time when Sendak bares his now-bloody teeth, it is with fury. Shiro just dives out of the way as Sendak takes a chunk out of the wall instead of out of his side, and it lands him right next to the cage. Which means that when Sendak next lunges at him, he, too, is within reach of the cage.

Shiro presses forward, fighting to keep Sendak moving back and away. He kicks out at Sendak’s knee and glances it, just enough to have the unseelie buckle, and Shiro takes the advantage, smashing his fist down. Sendak slumps and falls, and Shiro doesn’t spare him a second look as he scrambles back to where the poor cage is lying on the floor, tangled up in fabric.

“Please be okay,” Shiro whispers. He shoves his hand under the fabric, hurriedly springing the lock as he tries to touch the cage as little as possible, when even just the barest brushes against it draw pained whimpers from within. “Please be okay, please--”

His next words are garbled, as a blade slices in through between his ribs. “Foolish, Champion,” Sendak purrs. “Very foolish.”

Vision already blurring, Shiro collapses forward, distantly hearing an anguished scream, followed by a roar.

Then… then another scream… one that sounded like Sendak…?

“You can’t… you can’t kill me,” Sendak’s voice gurgles weakly . “You’re not... even full-blooded.”

“You’re a fool,” the other voice hisses. “And you only get to take me by surprise once.”

A wet-slap of a sound, and then Shiro feels something touching his face.

“Shiro, Shiro please, no, please--listen, you have to heal. I know you can. You told me you could. You can heal!”

Shiro coughs. He’s tired. He hurts. “Don’t… don’t have the energy.” It’s not his specialty. He normally channels magical items and utilizes their power for healing. “Can’t… not on my own.”

“I can help you,” the voice says urgently. “Take mine! You can use me.”

Feebly, Shiro tries reaching out to collect what energy he can, but though he can sense a shining star of it, he can’t touch it. “Can’t,” he manages. “Not… not mine to take.”

There is a desperate pause. “Then take my name, Shiro,” the voice pleads. “Ask for my name!”

Shiro shudders. It feels wrong, to ask. Names hold so much power. There’s a reason he has never asked. “I…”

“Don’t you dare die on me,” the voice snaps, sounding frantic. “Ask me for my name!”

Shiro’s tongue is thick in his throat, but he wants to do as his friend wishes. “What’s… what’s your name?”

“Keith Yorak Kogane.” The words are raw and wet. “My name is Keith Yorak Kogane. I give you my true name, Takashi Shirogane. Now  _ take my power.” _

Shiro obeys.

The world goes very, very bright.

And then dark.

***

Shiro wakes with a groan in his own bed. He can’t dismiss the day as a terrible dream because he aches, his breath comes shakily in panic, and there is a fresh scar on his chest. He reaches to feel the matching one on his back and tries to slow his panting. Puts out everything he has to feel for Sendak’s energy and gets nothing, not even residue. His… his body must have been taken care of.

“You’re awake,” a familiar voice says from the doorway, all over relieved. It is accompanied by footsteps, not buzzing, but still.

On instinct, Shiro squeezes his eyes shut.

The voice huffs a laugh, sounding fond. “I already gave you my true name, Shiro. You’re allowed to see what I look like.”

That’s… Shiro remembers. He remembers Keith. 

“I-I can?”

There is a shy, “if you want.”

Cautiously Shiro opens his eyes.

“Oh,” he breathes. “You’re fae.”

Fae are not common. Or rather, it’s rare to see one outside of the faerie circle, since they don’t often leave them. But the man standing at the side of his bed has pale purple skin and violet eyes, pointed ears and--yes--thin, wispy wings, tucked up tight against his back. He’s got a braid of long, black hair that shimmers purple under the light, with thin wisps escaping to frame a pretty face, and he’s wearing a chain with a familiar stone around his neck. He’s the most beautiful person Shiro has ever seen. 

“And you’re… big,” Shiro says next.

Another soft laugh as the man--as  _ Keith-- _ shifts where he stands, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “Yeah. It’s uh, it’s easier to be small, sometimes. And it’s good for staying out of sight. But there are also things that are easier to do when you’re big.”

“Like save my life?” Shiro says, not quite teasing.

Keith’s cheeks flush dark purple. “I was thinking more like house cleaning,” his breath hitches. “But that too.”

“Oh, Keith,” Shiro says quietly.  _ He burned my house, Shiro. _ “What… what happened?”

Keith sighs and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. He feels too far away. Shiro’s itching to touch him. Hug him, if he’s being honest. He wants the comfort, and it looks like Keith could use it too.

“It’s what I said,” Keith says. “After you helped me lay that spell to keep people with bad intentions out… he set fire to the porch. I flew outside to put out the fire and he took me by surprise. I… I don’t know what happened to my house.”

Shiro pushes out of bed. “Let’s go see.”

Alarmed, Keith reaches for him. “You’re recovering from being sliced in half! You’re not going anywhere.”

“I wasn’t sliced in half,” Shiro says stubbornly, “I was stabbed in the back and it came out the other side. And I’m better now.” Softer, he adds, “Thanks to you.”

Keith looks up at him with wide, wide eyes before his face darkens. “You wouldn’t have needed my help if that guy hadn’t used me to get to you.”

Shiro can’t help catching Keith’s hand in his own, stroking his thumb over Keith’s knuckles. “Sendak would have found me one way or another. You helped me end something that’s been hanging over my head for a long, long time. I can’t thank you enough, Keith.”

Keith licks his lips. “Shiro…”

“Now let’s go. I want to check on your house.”

Keith turns away. “If there’s anything left of it.”

“That’s what I want to see,” Shiro says. “And no matter what, I’ll help you fix it. Okay? No matter what.”

“You still need to rest.”

“I won’t be able to until we check on your house.” Shiro gently tugs on Keith’s hand. “Please, Keith. It’s important to me, too.”

Keith takes a breath. “Fine. But I’m driving.”

Shiro blinks. “You know how?”

The look he gets is so withering that he has to laugh.

***

Shiro spends most of the drive pulling energy from various plants that they pass on the way. He also pours as much as he can into Keith, too, without him noticing. Shiro had to have taken a lot of power in order to heal the way he did. Keith hasn’t said anything about feeling weak or shaky, but Shiro already knows he’s not the type to complain.

He’s feeling most of the way normal by the time they are approaching the house. From a distance it is still standing, and Shiro holds his breath as they get closer. He so desperately wants it to be okay. He doesn’t want Keith to be hurt any more than he already has been.

It looks okay from the back.

They circle around to the front and Shiro sucks in a breath.

“Oh,” Keith says as the hoverbike stops. His little exclamation is loud in the new quiet. “I…”

Over the last few months, Shiro had continued to bring plants, because Keith had liked them, and eventually between the two of them, a regular cactus and wild-stalk garden had sprung up in front of the house. With every one that Shiro had planted, he’d wished for happiness and protection for the house and its owner.

Now, he can make out scorch marks on the porch and one wall of the house, but just barely, as most of the wood is covered with brown and green. Even from the slight distance, Shiro can see the spines and stems glistening, wet with moisture.

“The plants doused your house,” Shiro says giddily, stating the obvious. “Keith, it’s okay! Your home is okay!”

“Yeah,” Keith whispers. He scrubs a hand over his eyes. When he turns to Shiro, they still shine. “Your plants saved it.”

“Yours,” Shiro says. “I planted them for you.”

Keith tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. “Ours, then.” It comes out shy. “If… if that’s okay.”

“Very okay,” Shiro says quickly, beside himself with joy. “Very, very okay.”

Keith smiles at him, and it lights up the entire world. Then he turns toward the house. “I should check to make sure everything is good inside, too.”

“Yeah.” Shiro nods, not that Keith can see it. “Right. Good idea.”

Keith glances back at him. “You could come too.” He seems to hesitate, then holds out his hand. “I could show you around. Give you a tour.”

“A tour?”

Keith’s expression turns playful. “Now that you don’t have to keep your eyes closed.” Followed by a more serious, “thank you, for that. By the way. I really… appreciated it. That you never tried to push for anything.”

“I just wanted to be someone you could trust,” Shiro says, self-conscious.

“You are.”

“I’m… I’m glad,” Shiro manages. God, Keith is so beautiful. And Shiro’s been talking to him for months and knows him to be smart, and snarky, and spirited, and Shiro--

“Come in,” Keith says, beckoning again with his hand. “Come in, with me.”

Shiro takes it with a grin. “Step into your circle?”

Keith snorts, a familiar sound, and this time Shiro gets to see the way his nose wrinkles and the little quirk of his mouth. “You’re ridiculous.”

“That’s true.”

They walk up the stairs together, hand in hand, and go to the door, which is partially blocked by cacti.

Keith worries at his lip with his teeth before he tilts his head. “Let us in?”

The plants oblige, rippling back from the porch. 

Keith blinks. “Whoa. I didn’t know that would work.”

“They’re yours,” Shiro says. “They’re part of your home. They want to make you happy.” The thought comes unbidden:  _ I want to make you happy. _

“Thank you,” Keith tells his cacti, before he and Shiro walk into the house. It smells a little smoky inside, but mostly it smells green. Keith lets out a sigh, sagging in relief.

“I’m so glad your home is safe,” Shiro says quietly.

“Yeah. Me too.”

“And I’m... sorry,” Shiro says. “That you got involved.”

Keith glares at him. “I’m the one who’s sorry. If it hadn’t been for me, he might not have found you in the first place.”

“Keith,” Shiro still thrills at being able to say his name. “I told you before. He would have found me. No matter what, he would have found me. But now… now I don’t have to jump at shadows anymore.” He cups Keith’s cheek. “You saved me.”

Keith closes his eyes, nuzzling into Shiro’s palm, and Shiro doesn’t dare breath for fear of disturbing him. “Yeah, well,” Keith’s words are mumbled against Shiro’s skin. “You were the one who reached out and made time for me and… helped me be a person again. So you… you saved me too.”

Shiro inhales sharply. “Keith...”

“We saved each other,” Keith says. He opens his eyes, searching Shiro’s face. “Right?”

“Right,” Shiro whispers. 

Cheeks dark purple, Keith tugs Shiro over to the couch and sits down, pulling Shiro down next to him.

Shiro smiles, can’t help the gentle tease. “I thought you were going to give me a tour.”

Keith nods, eyes sliding closed again. “I will. I just… I just want to sit for a minute. It’s nice to be back home.”

Tentatively, Shiro curls an arm around Keith’s shoulders. Keith inhales sharply, freezing up, but before Shiro can pull away, he relaxes completely, letting out a quiet, pleased hum and sinks into him. 

It strikes Shiro then, that he has no idea how long it’s been since Keith’s been touched by someone else. “It’s been quite a day for you,” he murmurs, keeping ahold of that thought.

“I’m still not the one who got sliced in half.”

“No, but you did get put through a lot of stress, and you took your own tumbles.”

“M’fine.” Keith opens his eyes just a little, violet slits. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you giving me energy.”

Shiro chuckles. “You gave me your power first. Now we’re even.”

“Hm.” His lids lower again.

“If you’re really tired, you should rest.” Shiro’s arm tightens as he says it. He doesn’t want to let Keith go. But he does want what’s best for Keith. “I can come back later.”

“Or… or you could stay.”

Shiro goes still. “Stay?” he asks carefully.

Keith nods, cheek rubbing against Shiro’s shirt. “If you wanted to.”

Keith has always said things like that.  _ If you want to. If that’s okay. _ Always respecting Shiro’s boundaries, and never pressing for anything more. “What do you want?”

Keith doesn’t open his eyes. “I’d like it if you stayed,” he says quietly.

Shiro takes a gamble and reaches out with his free hand to stroke Keith’s hair. Keith lets out a whimper and presses closer into Shiro’s side. There’s nothing else Shiro could possibly say. “I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”

Keith’s rough laugh sounds a little watery. “You can’t just say stuff like that to a fae.”

Shiro knows true enough about lore and circles and food and forever. “I like running my shop,” he says. “I like my friends. I like my life. But my apartment is just an apartment. It’s not a home the way yours is.”

Keith’s breath hitches and his eyes fly open. “What--?”

“I’m just saying,” Shiro says softly. “If you wanted me to stay with you, I could still live the other parts of my life. I don’t think you’d keep me from that.”

“I wouldn’t,” Keith whispers. “Of course not, I’d never--”

Shiro hushes him. “I know. And you  _ are _ a part of my life. Such a big part of it.” Over the months, Keith’s become someone Shiro confides in. Trusts. Feels close to. 

Loves.

“Besides,” he adds, “I told you. Matt and everyone else are dying to know more about my ‘special friend’ who I spend so much time with but refuse to tell them anything about.”

Keith makes an incredulous noise and hides his face back in Shiro’s shoulder.

Shiro smiles and brushes back Keith’s hair. “I want to stay with you, if you’ll have me. The rest of the world isn’t that far away. I can commute. And… maybe you could join me sometime, if you wanted.”

“Maybe,” Keith mumbles.

“I think they’d all like you. But you don’t have to. Or if not now, maybe later. We can start small. But for now...”

“Yeah?”

“It’s been a long day,” Shiro says. “Why don’t we get ready to turn in?”

“I have food,” Keith says quickly. “You used up a lot of power. You should eat.”

Shiro doesn’t tease about eating what Keith gives him. The moment feels too precious for that. Instead he thanks him for the meal and they eat quietly. He sits and watches Keith wash the dishes. And then he stands up and curls around him, pressing his cheek into Keith’s hair.

Keith stills, barely breathing, but Shiro doesn't think it’s out of discomfort. “Bedtime?” he asks.

“Y-yeah,” Keith says. “If you want.”

“I want,” Shiro says. And, because he’s feeling brave, because this warmth blooming inside him keeps expanding, he adds, “with you. If  _ you _ want. I’d like to hold you while we sleep.”

“Oh,” Keith exhales.

“Okay?” Shiro asks.

“Okay,” Keith breathes.

And so, hand-in-hand, Keith leads Shiro to his bedroom. The room is small, and so is the bed, but Shiro doesn’t need or want the extra space. They fall down together and tuck up around each other and it’s quiet and heavy and wonderful.

And yes, Shiro knows about lore and circles and food and forever. He also knows about pain and hurt and life and lost chances.

He knows about loneliness and understanding and want and love.

He knows Keith as a voice and a personality and a beautiful being, and now he also knows how it feels to hold him close.

Shiro will wake up tomorrow in a little house in the desert that has been made into a home. He will wake up tomorrow and his hoverbike will be waiting outside for him, for when he wants to go back into town, back to his shop, and back to his friends and family. 

He will wake up tomorrow and the house will still be there and his bike will still be there and his life will still be there.

Made all the better by the fact that he will also wake up with Keith in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro: This is Keith!  
> Matt: Why _hello_ are you, perhaps, Shiro's mysterious beau?  
> Keith: Yes.  
> Hunk: Nice to meet you, Keith!  
> Keith: Hello.  
> Pidge: Your energy feels really familiar.  
> Keith: Hm.  
> Lance: sO?? WAS IT A GHOST??

**Author's Note:**

> (I'm @justsayins on the twitters. [Come say hi!](https://twitter.com/justsayins))


End file.
